Inclosing propeller-shafts in keels



UNITED STATES PATENT OFIC.

AARON ARNOLD, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

i INCLOSING- IPROPELLERPSI-IAFTS IN KEELS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 14,589, dated April 8, 1856.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON ARNOLD, of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Application of Screw Propellers to Vessels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw'- ings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a side view of a vessel having four propellers applied according to my invention. Fig. 2, is a transverse section of the saine in the plane indicated by the line a', y, of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

This invention consists in applying the propellers in what may be termed side keels constructed as hereinafter described and represented in the drawings under the bottom of the vessel at the sides of the proper cent-ral keel whereby I am enabled to apply one or more propellers at pleasure on the same shaft to operate in a body of water which is solid and unbroken by the passage of the vessel through it, 4thus obtaining a better propulsive effect than when the propeller is arranged in the run or in the dead wood of the stern.

A, is the hull of the vessel, and B, B, are the side keels arranged parallel with the proper keel, C, and at such distances therefrom as to allow the propellers room to work clear of the said keel, C. These side keels I propose to make either of wood or of sheet iron but preferably of the latter when they will be hollow as shown in Fig. 2, and bolted through flanges c, c, to the vessels bottom. They will be made of a depth greater than the diameter of the propellers and for` the most part only of a width suilicient for proper stiffness and to containv the propeller shafts D, D, with a gradual enl largement as shown'at a, a, to allow the revolution of the cranks ZJ, or other devices by which the propeller shafts are connected with the engine or engines to receive rotary motion, and will terminate as nearly as possible in a sharp edge in front and rear. The propeller shafts are received in suitable bearings and the propellers E, E eitherI in suitable openings e, in the keels B, B, or in rear thereof; the shafts being fitted with stuiiing boxes where necessary. When only one propeller is to be employed on each shaft I should place it preferably entirely in rear of the keel B, as shown at E in Fig. 1, but when others are used I should apply them in openings e, like E, in Fig. 1, in order that they may be protected by the front parts of the keels. The keels B, B may extend under any portion of the vessels length. The connections from the engine or engines to the propeller shafts will pass through openings (Z, d, in the vessels bottom as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be readily understood that by the narrowness of the keels nearly the full area of the propellers will be exposed in a solid and unbroken body of water. Being under the vessels bottom the propellers will under all variations in the load line be submerged to a depth where the density of the water is greater than near the surface and consequently there will be less liability to slip Vhat I claim as my invention -and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The manner of inclosing the propeller shafts in keels B, B, made of sheet iron or other material, fastened to the vessels bottom, for the purposes and in the manner, substantially, as herein described.

i AARON ARNOLD.

Witnesses MosEs WARREN, T. S. BANKER. 

